Describing the legal dispute as having “all the makings of a historical art heist film,” the article outlined the artwork’s winding path from Europe to the United States and the lawsuit’s decade-long journey to resolution.

“The bottom line is because of its unique history, because of the fact that it involves both a Bolshevik looting and a forced sale by the Nazis, and because the prior owners availed themselves of a bonafide restitution system and specifically declined to claim these paintings, we felt the moral and legal situation compelled us to defend the claim,” Mr. Li said.

Munger, Tolles & Olson represents some of the most well-known and respected arts and culture organizations in the country on complex matters including alleged violations of cultural patrimony laws, sensitive financial issues and strategic corporate transactions.